From the article it sounds like more poor kids who have received a lower quality education are taking the test, so it's really not surprising the average score is down. This is a graphic from a study that came out last year.

"The chart below plots poverty concentration against percentage of students meeting the SAT college readiness criterion. Each dot represents a single high school. The size of the dot represents the number of students who tested at that school and the color of the dot represents the ethnic/racial makeup of the school.

The chart clearly shows an inverse correlation between SAT scores and poverty. As the poverty rate goes up, as defined by qualification for reduced prices lunches, SAT and ACT scores go down. In Texas, and in most other places, race and ethnicity correlate with lower incomes and lower test scores. Not surprisingly, schools made up of primarily rich students do better on these tests."

Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

Kimothy:Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

Kinda chicken vs. eggy though, you must admit. Favors middle to upper middle class white people, who are also likely the most college ready.

Kimothy:Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

Prepare for an onslaught of white guys who couldn't get into the Advanced Mediocrity program and NE State University because of the bias against white guys.

Kimothy:Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

Kimothy:Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

that's just bullshiat. granted it's been a decade since I took the SAT, but from what I remember, it's just straight up math, or knowing the specific definition of words. If you want to say white people are biased to just know more stuff, that's fine, but that's racist. If you want to say, it favors mid to upper middle class PEOPLE in general because they can afford tutors, that's fine too, and probably closer to the reality.

Kimothy:Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

I would like to see some stats that take into account how much test prep the students did. Would be very helpful into making some conclusions. It's definitely an advantage having that prep time to get a feel of what the test is like and it's something that's out of the reach of most of the poor.

College isn't for everyone. Formal education isn't for everyone... but some idiots in Washington think that every kid should be educated at the same level and thus in elementary school and junior high where there are no honor classes or AP classes the 10% of students that still don't know how to read and add by 8th grade slow down the class for everyone.

Let the 10% or so fail and concentrate on the 90% that can do the work without explaining to them why 2 + 2 = 4 every single day because they just won't get it.

More like "thanks, poor parenting". Most parents these days ship their kids off to school, and that's all the education they get. Gone are the days of parents helping their kids learn how to read, doing homework with them, etc. Parents plop the kid down in front of the TV or video games and veg in front of the TV themselves.

Walker:Don't blame television. Kids hardly watch it these days. They spend most of their time on their cell phones texting....so spelling will be taking a big hit too. k thx bai.

All of my kiddos have cell phones. Me and their mother have stressed to them both that cell phone abbreviated "speak" is not acceptable. I have caught them a few times when doing homework trying that crap and made them put in the correct spelling. I tell them they will thank me when they get out in the work force if they can actually fill out an application without abbreviating everything. As of yet none of the teachers at the school are getting lax where they accept this kind of behavior and we try to look at all of the graded homework the kids have brought home.My kids also spend time online but we make sure they read as well. They all read above their grade level and my middle son who is a sophomore is reading at a college junior level.I never took the SAT in school but took the ACT. Has it changed so much since 1989 that you have to pay even for practice tests now?

The fear of confrontation has neutered our society. You can find similar issues with the MMO gaming community, their expectations have outstripped the ability of the industry, creating an endless cycle of financial failure. People, on average, are incapable of making informed decisions - and they've shown it to be true time and time again. Instead of merely saying, "This is why we can't have nice things...", kick the problem in the ass and resolve the matter.

You mean, "Thanks evangelicals and the discovery institute for infiltrating government positions and slowly dismantling the education system and trying to force science classes in the public school system to teach a theological farce as it it were reality under the premise that early indoctrination would help flagging church attendance and revenue."

So I guess the SAT and ACT are biased towards Asian-Americans since they consistently achieve higher scores than any other demographic. Someday science will be able to use a probe to clock your brain speed through your retinas. When that happens you will finally realize the truth even though most of you will still even deny it.

sprd:So I guess the SAT and ACT are biased towards Asian-Americans since they consistently achieve higher scores than any other demographic. Someday science will be able to use a probe to clock your brain speed through your retinas. When that happens you will finally realize the truth even though most of you will still even deny it.

RAT'S LACISS!

On another note, why are people blaming NCLB? If anything, it encourages schools to teach kids how to take a test.

I wouldn't be all that surprised that "college entrance" test scores are going down, as the are totally voluntary and not all students take them. The number of students (and % of all students) taking the SAT is naturally climbing over time as college has gone from "for the smart folks" to "for everyone". Comparing one year's SAT scores to another year is likewise difficult as the test changes from year to year and in some years is actually harder than in others.

In sum: Statewide test scores would be more helpful to study what's going on with the student body. SAT is an artificial and variable sample, so it is not helpful in determining if the student body as a whole has higher or lower reading/math/etc. ability.

super_grass:sprd: So I guess the SAT and ACT are biased towards Asian-Americans since they consistently achieve higher scores than any other demographic. Someday science will be able to use a probe to clock your brain speed through your retinas. When that happens you will finally realize the truth even though most of you will still even deny it.

RAT'S LACISS!

On another note, why are people blaming NCLB? If anything, it encourages schools to teach kids how to take a test.

Because in the real world, some jobs require independent thought and creativity.

simplicimus:super_grass: sprd: So I guess the SAT and ACT are biased towards Asian-Americans since they consistently achieve higher scores than any other demographic. Someday science will be able to use a probe to clock your brain speed through your retinas. When that happens you will finally realize the truth even though most of you will still even deny it.

RAT'S LACISS!

On another note, why are people blaming NCLB? If anything, it encourages schools to teach kids how to take a test.

Because in the real world, some jobs require independent thought and creativity.

Kimothy:Maybe if the SAT and ACT actually tested what they claim to test, this wouldn't matter.

They claim they test "college readiness" but white males outscore every other group, but white females graduate from college at the highest rate. If this test really tested "college readiness" women would outscore men.

All tests have built in biases - this one definitely favors mid to upper middle class white people.

College readiness doesn't mean that you will finish. There are many factors that will lead to people not finishing school. When males were faced with those factors they tended to leave school and not finish at a later date because they were able to find physical labor jobs that females normally wouldn't go into that paid well.

Sticky Hands:simplicimus: super_grass: sprd: So I guess the SAT and ACT are biased towards Asian-Americans since they consistently achieve higher scores than any other demographic. Someday science will be able to use a probe to clock your brain speed through your retinas. When that happens you will finally realize the truth even though most of you will still even deny it.

RAT'S LACISS!

On another note, why are people blaming NCLB? If anything, it encourages schools to teach kids how to take a test.

Because in the real world, some jobs require independent thought and creativity.